Drop ceiling guide



June l0, 1958 v L. D. KATANlcl-l l2,337,757

DROP CEILING GUIDE Filed April 12, 1954 FIG 1 I Vf ml Y I we@ 2,837,757 DROP CEILING GUIDE Leonard D. Katanicll, Lansing, lll. Application April 12, 1954, Serial No. 422,419 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-246) This invention relates to a painting tool and is best known as a drop ceiling guide.

Itis an object of this invention to provide a device which can be adjustably fastened to a roller type of paint applicator and which can be rolled along a surface at right angles to the surface to which paint is being applied.

lt is a special object of this invention to provide a device that can be fastened to a roller type of paint applicator a predetermined distance from the most distant point on the periphery of two small rollers so as to apply paint the same predetermined distance away from a second surface on which said two small rollers arevmoved along as guides.

The device of this invention has many uses but is particularly helpful when a painter or decorator wishes to paint a side wall a different color than the ceiling of the same room but wants to continue the ceiling color down the side wall a cert-ain distance before applying the different wall color. Such an operation is known in the trade as dropping the ceiling. Hence the device of this invention is a drop ceiling guide although it may be used for many other purposes, but always where paint is applied a predetermined distance from another surface along which the rollers ofthe guide can be rolled.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claim with reference to the accompanying drawing which is part of this speciiication wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a vertical side view of the drop ceiling guide fastened to the arm of a roller applicator with the wheels of the guide in rolling contact with a ceiling.

Figure 2 isa vertical front view of the device of this invention showing the roller applicator in contact with a side wall and the wheels of the guide in contact with the ceiling.

Figure 3 is a top view of the drop ceiling guide with the ceiling removed and the roller applicator contacting a sidewall. l

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through one of the guide wheel-s along line 4 4, of Figure 1 enlarged so as to show some detail.

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view along line 5-5 of Figure 1 showing some of the detail of the clamping of the guide onto the arm of the roller applicator.

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the drop ceiling guide of this invention.

Referring to the drawings the drop ceiling guide generally is designated as 10 and the wheels of the guide as 11 and 12. These wheels or rollers may be made of metal, liber, plastic, or any non-corrosive materials. The simplest means of attaching said wheels in place in the guide would be by cotter pins 13 through bushings 13a, as shown, although any other usual means could be employed. Bushings may be made from the usual materials but preferably non-corrosive materials. A series of holes 14 are drilled through both sides of the guide for the insertion of bolts 15 which are fastened by nuts 16. The holes 14 are spaced at any desirable distances apart to best suit the users experience in regulating the amount and variety of drop ceilings -he is called upon to paint or decorate. For example the holes might be drilled at half inch or one inch intervals along the guide. Or it might prove desirable because of usage and custom to scale them itates Patent 0 f 2,837,757 Patented June 10, 1958 ICC vshoulder section 21 that may be inserted and clamped in the vertical leg 17 of the drop ceiling guide 10 and also to provide a section encased in a handle grip 22. In practice it has been found advantageous to use bolts and nuts through any two holes along leg 17 of the drop ceiling guide and their oppositely disposed holes in order to securely fasten the drop ceiling guide to the shoulder section of the roller applicator.

The drop ceiling guide may be made out of iron, steel, aluminum, bakelite, plastic or any non-corrosive materials. It should preferably be manufactured from a light weight but strong material. The strength i's required to withstand any arm pressure against the ceiling when pressing the roller 19 along the wall. The less the weight of the guide the less the tendency will be for the guide and applicator in the hand of the painter grasping the handle 22 to become unbalanced.

In operation the rollers 11 and 12 roll along the ceiling as represented in Figures l and 2, while the paint applicater 19 is rolled along the side wall by pulling or pushing the combined guide and applicator parallel to and against the wall as shown in Figures 2 and 3 by handle. v

Before using the combination arm 20 and handle 22 the shoulder 21 is fitted into leg 17 of the drop ceiling guide 10 and clamped therein by bolts 15 and nuts 16 in such a manner so as to provide a predetermined distance from the ceiling down to the top edge of the roller applicator 19.

It is within the scope of this invention to use the drop ceiling guide in connection with a 4roller applicator as shown, or with multiple roller applicators to paint a design, or with striping devices, or with any otherapplicator which must be applied to a surface a definite distance below a horizontal surface, like a ceiling, etc.

What I claim as invention:

A roller guide frame having identical parallel but separated sides which are joined by a curved edge, each side having one long arm and one short arm that is disposed at right angle to said long arm, said parallel short arms having spaced pairs of oppositely disposed holes therethrough, means inserted through one pair of said oppositely disposed holes and through the center of a wheel to hold said Wheel in place between the parallel short arms of said frame, each pair of said oppositely disposed holes in said short arms having similar wheels similarly held in place, said long arms having oppositely disposed holes therethrough, contractible means inserted through selected holes in said long arms to fasten said frame around a rod-like element having a roller applicator attached thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,338 Barns Dec. 19, 1899 1,045,815 Courville Dec. 3, 1912 1,591,869 Wiedman July 6, 1926 1,835,822 Stutzenstein Dec. 8, 1931 1,842,750 Fox et al. Ian. 26, 1932 2 610,582 Sprung Sept. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENrs 5,831 Great Britain of 1908 965,660 France Feb. 12, 1950 

